The Hot Truth
by Element Of One
Summary: After a night of helping Mayor Dewey resolve various political issues, Steven returns to the Temple with a few questions in mind. "The Hot One? What does that mean?" After talking with his fellow gems, he inadvertently breaks someone's heart, but he also receives a painful history lesson on a very dear friend of his...
1. Chapter 1

**The Hot Truth**

"_It's not easy being a politician,"_ Mayor Dewey said. _"Most of the time you spend your political life serving as a 'puppet,' and you're only acceptable so long as you do what the public wants."_ Steven watched as Mayor Dewey sighed, then leaned back into his seat. Just as Steven was about to say something, the Mayor leaned up, then peered through the windshield, and was now looking up towards the arm of the Temple.

"_It looks like your sister is doing Laundry,"_ he exclaimed. Steven looked up as well and said, _"My sister?"_ Then Mayor Dewey replied, _"The Hot One."_ There was an uncomfortable silence between the two, until finally the Mayor said, _"Well thank you young universe! At least I know where to go anytime something suspicious occurs throughout the city. Here's a button, vote for me, now get out."_ Steven watched as Mayor Dewey drove off, then he proceeded to walk back towards the temple. As he was doing so, he began to observe the button that he was holding in his hand, then he quietly said to himself, _"The Hot One!? What does that mean?"_

When he made it inside the Temple, he saw Pearl carrying a basket of clothing up the stairs towards his bedroom, and he saw Amethyst sitting on the couch drinking a soda. _"What up Steven!?"_ Amethyst shouted, and Pearl as well said. _"Hello Steven! You're back already? Were you able to help the Mayor with whatever he needed help with?"_ Steven sat down on the couch, then replied, _"I think I did. The Mayor was lobbying for a bill to be passed, and because it didn't, he thinks that we have something to do with it. I guess he just needed help."_

"_Yeah, that guy needs a lot of HELP!"_ Amethyst exclaimed, as she was sipping on her drink. Steven looked up at Pearl and asked, _"Can I ask you something?"_ Then she replied, _"Yes Steven, you may. What is it?"_ Pearl came back down the stairs, then sat next to him as she waited for a response. _"What does it mean when someone is considered Hot?"_ Steven asked, Then Pearl replied, _"Well, I would think it means that that particular individual is warm or has an elevated temperature. Usually there's signs that accompany being hot, such as perspiration, fatigue, and the individual may have a flushed like appearance. Why do you ask?"_

"_Well, Mayor Dewey keeps calling you guys my sisters. I tried to explain it to him, but for some reason he doesn't listen."_ Steven exclaimed_. "He calls Garnet the tall one, and you Amethyst, he calls the purple one. But you Pearl, he calls the Hot one."_ In that moment, Amethyst spit out her drink as she began laughing hysterically. _"Are you serious!?"_ she shouted_. "He called Pearl the hot one!? That's too funny!"_ Pearl, however, was not amused. Her arms were folded and she had a look of distain on her face, as she stared over at Amethyst and replied, _"Well, I don't think that's funny! That's not amusing to me in the least!"_ Steven looked at her and asked, _"So what does it mean!? The Hot One!?"_ Pearl rolled her eyes then said, _"It's slang, Steven! It's meant to describe someone attractive, but if the context of the word is used that way, then it's derogatory in and of itself!"_ Amethyst continued to laugh, then she replied, "_Yeah I guess Pearl's the hot one! Hey Steven, you should tell Garnet! I bet she would get a kick out of this!"_

"_No! No!"_ Pearl exclaimed. _"No one needs to say anything! Steven you're not allowed to go out with that Man anymore! He can go help himself! I think right now is the perfect time to build that fence!"_ As she stood up from the couch she said, _"In fact I'll go get started on it right now!"_ Amethyst and Steven watched as Pearl walked towards the front door, then Steven said, _"Wait! What about my dad!? What about Connie!?"_ Then she replied, "_That's why we have a phone! They can call you!"_ Steven stood up from the couch then said, _"Are you upset Pearl? I didn't mean to make you upset!"_ She turned towards him then replied, _"I'm not mad at you Steven, it's quite the opposite. I am, however, a little uncomfortable with these particular individuals that you associate yourself with. Your father and Connie may always come over to visit, but it's not really necessary for us to have communication with the outside world. So it's better to just build the fence."_

As she turned back towards the door and continued walking, Steven finally said, _"But what's wrong with saying you're attractive!? I think you're pretty Pearl! I think you guys are all pretty!"_ Pearl turned back around, and now had a large smile on her face, as Amethyst said, _"Oh god! Here we go! Don't encourage her ego, Steven!"_ Pearl snapped her fingers at Amethyst, and continued to smile as she said, _"Shhh! Let him talk! If Steven appreciates my attractiveness, that's fine by me!"_ Amethyst once again leaned back into the couch, then finished what was left of her beverage, and replied, _"And so it Starts…"_ Pearl sat back down on the couch, and was feeling ecstatic as she said, _"You know I've always been perceived as being attractive! I don't know what it is about my being, or what people see in me, but for some reason I've always been thought of in that context!"_ As she continued to talk, Amethyst looked over at Steven and said, _"I told you not to encourage her! Now look at us! My ears are bleeding!"_

Amethyst couldn't take it anymore so she finally said, _"Yeah, yeah! So you're the pretty one! Good for you!"_ Pearl was blushing as she replied, _"Why thank you Amethyst! I'm glad you can appreciate my beauty as well!"_ Amethyst rolled her eyes, as Pearl stood up and said, _"But I'm still building that fence! Sorry Steven!" _As she was walking away from them, Amethyst leaned up and shouted, _"Hey Pearl! You may have been thought of as the pretty one, but there was always one who everybody thought was the most beautiful!"_ Pearl turned towards her, then asked, _"And who could that be!? My mind is drawing a blank, so please enlighten me!"_ Amethyst smiled at her as she replied, _"You know who it is! Don't make me say it!"_ Pearl thought for a moment, but then her expression had changed as she replied, _"Forget it! Don't say anything!"_ Steven looked at both of them, then he looked over at Amethyst and asked, "_Who is she talking about?"_

"_Well Steven!,"_ Amethyst exclaimed, as she continued to smile. _"Be Quiet!"_ Pearl shouted, as she was now standing before Amethyst. _"Just leave it alone! Steven doesn't care! It's none of his business!"_ But Steven was curious, so he finally asked, _"Who are you guys talking about!? You can tell me!" _Pearl's chest was pumping, as she could feel her anger growing, then Amethyst finally said, _"The one who was always thought of as the prettiest and most beautiful, was Lapis Lazuli!"_ Steven thought for a moment, then said, "_You're right, she is pretty! She is beautiful! I agree with that!"_ Pearl looked down at Steven and asked, _"But not as pretty as me? RIGHT STEVEN!?" _Steven became nervous as he was staring back at her, then he finally said, _"Well Mayor Dewey thinks you're hot, and he's the Mayor, so you can't argue with that." _

"_I don't care what Mayor Dewey thinks!"_ Pearl exclaimed. _"I asked you if you think I myself, PEARL, am more attractive than your swamp friend!? Now answer the question honestly! I won't be mad at you, even if it's not the response that I want to hear! Just answer please!"_ Steven was nervous, as he looked over at Amethyst, then he looked back at Pearl and said, _"Honestly I think Lapis. But just by a little! I swear!"_ Pearl felt her heart break, as she dropped her arms to the side and walked towards the front door. _"I'll be outside building the fence,"_ she whispered. _"Pearl! Wait! I'm sorry!"_ Steven shouted, but the door slammed as she exited the house. _"Hahaha, nice going Steven!"_ Amethyst said. _"We should talk about Lapis more often!"_

"_Why did she get so upset!?"_ Steven asked. _"I gave her an honest answer and now she hates me!"_

"_Dude, don't worry about it. Pearl's going to be just fine,"_ Amethyst replied. _"She doesn't hate you, it's just that she and Lapis got history together." "What do you mean they got history together!?"_ Steven asked.

"_Look, it happened a really long time ago, so it doesn't really matter now,"_ Amethyst exclaimed. _"It happened way before I was around, but your Mom told me the story."_

"_So what happened?"_ Steven asked. There was silence at first, until Amethyst finally said, _"Lapis was a member of the Crystal Gems, that is, until your mom kicked her out."_

Steven was stunned at her revelation, then he replied _"But why would my mom kick her out? She likes everyone!"_

"_I know!"_ Amethyst replied. _"Rose was kind to everyone. But Lapis did something pretty bad, and your mom couldn't overlook it."_


	2. Chapter 2: The Sea Goddess

**Chapter 2: The Sea Goddess**

"_Lapis couldn't have been that bad,"_ Steven exclaimed. _"Well Steven, there's a lot you don't know about her." _Amethyst replied. _"I'll explain it to you, and this is the story that your mom told me."_

_**2,495 Years Ago: The Battle of Thermopylae **_

It was a scorching afternoon, as the sun blazed down from a cloudless sky and the air was extremely dry. The sand beneath her felt hot and burned the soles of her feet, as she waited patiently. _"Rose!"_ Lapis shouted. _"How much longer do we have to wait here!?"_ Rose had her eyes fixated on the pass that lay ahead. She could hear the sound of men yelling, as well as the sound of bronze weaponry knocking against shields, and other heavy objects. _"Not long,"_ Rose replied. _"If you're feeling hot, then you should go cool yourself off in the ocean. But we'll be out of here soon." _Lapis started walking towards the ocean, as Pearl looked at Rose and asked, _"May I go with her? I'm feeling a little hot myself."_

"_Of course,"_ Rose replied. _"You don't need my permission friend. Go cool yourself off." _As the two were walking away, Rose turned to them and said, _"Remember, we're guests on this planet. We cannot interfere or take part in their lives. Is that understood?" _Pearl nodded her head, then continued to follow Lapis.

"_What a relief!"_ Lapis exclaimed. _"The ocean is where I belong! It's so soothing and relaxing! I could fall asleep right now!"_ Pearl sat down next to her, as the two were sitting in the tide, and said, _"You're right! It offers a very comforting feeling! Especially on a hot day such as this!"_ Lapis leaned back onto her elbows, and could feel the tide pushing against her waist, as she looked up towards the sky, then closed her eyes. Pearl was sitting up, and could feel the water brush against her ankles, as she waited subtly.

"_I wonder how long these people have been fighting._" Pearl said. "_Who cares!"_ Lapis replied, as she opened her eyes. _"Wars are the same no matter where you go." _As the two were sitting down and conversing, suddenly, the fighting had stopped. They observed as dozens of men ran away from the battle, and they also heard the sound of men screaming, but they were soon silenced. They watched, as a man stood in the tide, and appeared as thou he was praying. His body was badly scarred, and was glistening in the sunlight as he was covered in sweat. _"What's going on?"_ Pearl asked silently, as she stared from a distance. _"I don't know,"_ Lapis whispered. "_Let's just watch."_

_**A King's Prayer **_

"_Hear me Zeus!"_ the king shouted, as he looked up towards the sky. _"Guide our armies and help us drive these heathens from our land!"_ Then he kneeled down into the tide and threw water all over his body as he said, _"Hear me Poseidon! I ask that you turn the sea against our enemies! May the thirst of the ocean be quenched with the blood from their bodies!"_

Lapis and Pearl were staring at the king, until Lapis finally said, _"Zeus? Poseidon? Who is he talking to?"_ Then Pearl replied, _"He must be referring to a deity, or whatever god that his culture worships."_ Lapis continued to stare, then she looked over at Pearl and said, _"Watch this!"_ She raised her palm into the air, and when she did, a gust of water came out from the ocean. _"My Lord!"_ one of the men shouted. _"Look!"_ The king stared out to sea, and when he did, he could see the gust of water shooting up, then he shouted, _"Behold! A sign from the god Poseidon! He is with us! We will win this battle!"_

"_What are you doing!?"_ Pearl whispered. _"Rose told us not to get involved!"_ Lapis smiled as she replied, _"I don't think a spout of water will somehow influence their history!"_

"_Yes it will,"_ Rose exclaimed, as she was now standing beside them. _"You never know what kind of lasting impact that you might have on these people."_ Pearl quickly got to her feet and said, _"Rose! We're sorry! We just finished cooling ourselves off!" _Lapis also got to her feet and said, _"Yeah, we just now finished. So were you able to locate the gem shards?"_ Rose continued to stare at Lapis, until finally she said, _"Yes, I have found their location. But we'll have to wait until nightfall to retrieve them. The shards are located in their camp."_

"_Okay, so then we'll wait till nightfall,"_ Lapis exclaimed, as she walked away. Rose took Pearl aside and said, "_Keep your eyes open, and your whits about you. I don't know how much longer she's going to be on our team."_

_**Amphitrite**_

As Lapis was walking into the tide, she paused for a moment, as she could hear the sound of footsteps running towards her. When she turned around, she now saw that dozens of men were staring at her, so she quietly said to herself, _"Well this is just great! Now they've seen me!" _Just as she was about to say something else, a man from the crowd stepped forward, then kneeled in front of her. _"Oh mighty Amphitrite! Wife of Poseidon!"_ The king exclaimed. _"Whose love and beauty is as vast as the ocean itself! Thank you for being sent here in our time of need!"_ Lapis stared at him, and was confused as she said, _"The mighty what!?"_ The king took Lapis's hands and proceeded to kiss them, then she became uneasy. While he was on his knees, she began to feel the moisture of his tears running down her hands, as he buried his face into them.

He looked up at Lapis and said, _"Please! Amphitrite! We give thanks to Poseidon for having sent you to us!"_ He motioned towards his men, as they came walking up, and had all kinds of gifts in their possession. Lapis observed that the men were carrying "jewels, gold, kingly garbs made out of fine embroidery, and lastly a solid gold throne" that took dozens of men to lift. The king took an item of jewelry and placed it over Lapis's neck, then bowed down once more. He kissed her feet then looked up at her and said, "_We only ask my queen, that you vanquish our enemies! Send them down to the pit of hades, and never let them set foot on dry land again!"_ Lapis smiled as she saw the dozens of men kneel before her, and the king kissed her hand once more.

"_It will be done,"_ she whispered. "_Your enemies will be defeated."_ And with that, Lapis split open the ocean, she walked inside, then disappeared. The king rose to his feet, then began to look out towards the sea. When he did, he saw a fleet of ships sailing towards him by the thousands. He turned towards his men and shouted, "_We are but a few left, but we are strong!"_ He pointed his sword out towards the sea then shouted, _"They have come to taste death, and we shall give it to them!"_ With his words, the rest of the men were galvanized as they too began shouting and chanting. Then the king finally said, _"And with the god's on our side, death shall come swiftly! The Sea Goddess will vanquish our enemies, and they will never see the light of day again!"_

Pearl and Rose were standing at the top of a cliff, and were looking down into the pass, as Pearl said, _"What just happened!?"_ Rose was quiet at first, but then she replied, _"This is how history gets written."_ Pearl looked at her friend, and said, _"Aren't we going to do something!? She has to be stopped! She's gone mad!"_ Then Rose replied, _"I'll deal with her later. But for now Im only here to retrieve the gem shards. I refuse to shape the course of human history, and I'll only intervene if necessary. This is something that our teammate hasn't quite figured out yet."_

_**Amethyst the narrator**_

"_And that's pretty much how Lapis became a psycho,"_ Amethyst exclaimed, as she popped open another can of soda. _"Wow!"_ Steven replied. _"I want to know more! So what happened!?"_

"_Ahh Geeze!"_ Amethyst said. _"Fine Dude!"_ But just as she was about to continue the story, the door to the house opened, then Pearl stepped inside.

"_Don't mind me! I'm just here to get the tool box!"_ She whispered, as she briskly walked by and was wiping the tears from her eyes. Steven was laying down on the couch, then lifted his head up, as he could see Pearl rumbling through the closet. He could hear the sound of her sniffling, and every so often she would wipe her eyes. Steven looked up at Amethyst and said, _"Hold on, give me a minute.."_ Amethyst nodded her head, then took a sip from her drink, as she quietly said, _"Drama Queen!"_

"_Come here Pearl,"_ Steven whispered as he wrapped his arms around the back of her neck. _"Don't be sad, I'm sorry!"_ Pearl was kneeling in front of the closet and had her hands pressed up against the wall, as she supported her weight and Steven's as well. He pressed his face up against hers, and finally said, _"I'm sorry, please forgive me."_ Steven felt her exhale, and could feel the moisture of her tears running down her face as she replied, _"I'm not mad at you Steven! I'm not mad at you at all!"_ Pearl's body began to shake, and her voice began to crack, as she finally said, _"I'm sorry I'm not Lapis!"_ He held her tight, then gave her kiss on the cheek as he replied, _"You're Pearl. You're more beautiful than Lapis!"_

Pearl felt her heart melt, as she began to smile once more, then she got up and sat down on the couch with Steven. _"So what were the two of you talking about?"_ She asked, as she wiped the last few remaining tears from her face. Amethyst just rolled her eyes, as she replied, "_I was telling him how Lapis got expelled from the team. I was about to continue until you showed up, then the water works started!"_ Pearl looked down at her feet, then quietly said, _"Expelled is a pretty accurate description."_ Steven looked at her and said, _"Is everything that she's saying true!?" _Pearl looked at Amethyst and said, _"I hope so. That is, if she's giving you the correct information!"_

"_Of course I'm giving him the right information!"_ Amethyst shouted. _"Rose told me everything on how it went down! So why don't you just sit there, and continue crying, while I finish the story!"_ Pearl felt her anger brewing, but instead, she leaned back into the couch and remained silent. _"Okay Amethyst! I'm listening!"_ She exclaimed. _"Go right ahead!"_ Steven laid his head down on Pearl's lap, and began to smile, as he looked up at her. She reciprocated by smiling back, then adjusted her body to make him more comfortable.

"_So anyway!"_ Amethyst exclaimed. _"Now that that's over!"_

"_Lapis disappeared into the ocean, and then a bunch of guys died!"_

Pearl palmed her forehead, then said, _"A bunch of guys died!? Well I guess that's one way to say it!"_

"_Shhh!"_ Amethyst shouted. _"Be quiet runner up in the most beautiful gem competition! I'm talking about the first place winner here!"_


	3. Chapter 3: Eye of the Storm

**Chapter 3:**

**Eye of the Storm**

"_Anyway, as I was saying!"_ Amethyst exclaimed. _"She went into the ocean and then a bunch of guys died!" _Pearl sighed, then said_, "Could you please elaborate further!? I was there, and I know for a fact, that that's not quite what happened! You make it sound so simple!"_

"_Fine!"_ Amethyst exclaimed. _"Hey Steven could you tell your pillow of the year to be quiet! Geeze!"_

Steven lifted his head up from Pearls lap and began laughing, then Amethyst continued.

"_So, like Rose said, they waited for nightfall….."_

**Ruby and Sapphire **

The sky was dark, as Rose, Lapis and Pearl, prepared to infiltrate the campsite. However, they were not able to advance further due to the fact that there were "guards" surveying the area, and were monitoring the Kings valuables. _"I have an idea,"_ Lapis whispered. _"Why don't the two of you wait here, and I'll create a distraction?" _Pearl looked back at Lapis and said, "_Are you crazy!? These people have already seen you enough!"_ Then Lapis replied, _"That's exactly my point. They think I'm a god!"_

"_Look, there's no more time to discuss this,"_ Lapis insisted. _"I'm making a decision regardless of whether the two of you agree with me or not!"_ Just as Lapis was about to step out of the shadows to reveal herself, Rose placed a hand on her shoulder and said, _"Think about what you're doing! Please be careful! Pearl and I are coming for you when we're finished. Do you understand?"_ Lapis simply nodded her head then stepped out of the shadows to reveal herself. When she did, several of the guards noticed her, as they took defensive stance, then they held up their swords and shields, and were prepared to attack.

"_The Sea Goddess!"_ a guard shouted. Then he immediately kneeled and said, _"Please forgive us! We were unaware!"_ As Lapis stared at the guards, she now saw that all of them were kneeling before her, so she replied, _"You are forgiven. Now rise and follow me. The battle is being fought from outside these walls."_ The guard looked up at her and said, _"But my queen! We cannot leave! We are here to keep watch over the king's riches!"_ Lapis placed a hand over the guards shoulder and said, _"Your king needs you. He is outside these walls, fighting, as we speak. Your enemies will not make it inside."_ The guard bowed his head toward Lapis, as he stood up, then he looked back at the rest of the men and shouted, _"Let us go! We shall fight alongside our king! The Sea Goddess has commanded it!"_ The guards all stood up, then headed towards the exit of the camp, as Lapis followed. Pearl and Rose had their bodies pinned up against a wall, out of sight, and watched while dozens of men ran past them. As they were running, they could hear the sound of their swords, shields, and armor rattling while they were moving.

"_I think she's enjoying this just a little too much,"_ Pearl exclaimed as she followed Rose towards the room that contained the king's valuables. _"I agree,"_ Rose replied. _"But as I said, I'll deal with it when we're finished." _When they finally entered the room, they could see that it contained mounds of gold, jewelry, robes, among other illustrious valuables as well. Rose's eyes focused in on the shards, and when she found them, she said, _"They're here."_ She bubbled the gem shards, then held it in the palm of her hands, as Pearl said_, "Well, that was easy enough. Can we go now please!?"_

"_Yes," _Rose replied. _"Let's get out of here."_

As they were leaving, Rose's eyes drifted off towards the corner of the room, then she said, _"Wait! There's something else here."_ As she walked over to see what it was, she now saw "two gemstones," one red and one blue, how they were mixed in with jewels. _"Sapphire….Ruby,"_ Rose whispered, as she dug them out. _"Are those gemstones!?"_ Pearl asked. _"How did they end up here!?"_ _"Yes, they are,"_ Rose replied. _"I don't know, but they haven't been here that long."_

"_It appears as thou they're still regenerating…"_

While Rose was holding the gemstones to check to see if they were damaged or had any cracks, Pearl said, _"We have to get going! Those guards could come back any minute now!"_

Rose bubbled the gemstones, then followed Pearl, as they exited the room.

_**Watery Grave**_

Lapis walked outside, and could hear the sound of bronze weaponry rattling against each other, as dozens of men were engaged in combat. She looked out towards the ocean and observed what seemed like hundreds of ships, as they sailed towards the beach. Her wings appeared, as she immediately flew onto a nearby cliff to get a better view of the battle. "_My Queen!"_ The king shouted from below. _"Help us! Rid this land of our enemies!"_ Lapis looked down upon the king and his men, and saw that there were only a few hundred of them. She looked out to sea and saw that the opposing force had hundreds of ships sailing towards them, some of which had already landed, as men were storming the beach. She turned her back on the King, then closed her eyes as she quietly said to herself, "_Don't get involved! Rose said stay out of it! It's not your problem!"_

In desperation, the king dropped to his knees and cried out, "_Why have the gods forsaken us! Please spare us from this fate!"_ When Lapis heard his words, she had tears in her eyes, as she looked back down upon the king, and observed that he was badly injured. She looked out to sea once more, then in her frustration she looked back at the king and his men, then said to herself, _"This isn't fair! I have to do something!"_ Just then, she stretched both of her arms out towards the ocean, and she began to concentrate.

The king turned his attention towards the sea and observed as a heavy fog settled over the surface of the water. He looked up towards the sky, as he could feel little droplets of moisture tapping down on his face, then the clouds rumbled as a heavy storm descended upon them. Suddenly, the ocean itself was lifted off the ground, which made the earth rumble as it did so. He then watched as the entire fleet of ships was lifted high into the air, with the ocean bursting upwards. In one swift motion, Lapis dropped both of her arms to her sides, and watched as ships began falling back to earth.

Her heart sank, as she could hear thousands of men screaming and yelling, as they fell back to earth.

"_The God's favor us!"_ the King shouted, as he held his sword high with triumph. "_We will win this battle!"_

_**Fall from Grace**_

Rose and Pearl came running up the hill towards Lapis, and as they did, Rose slowed down, then dropped to her knees. _"Oh my god!"_ Pearl whispered, as she looked up towards the sky. Rose was in shock, and now had tears in her eyes, as she saw hundreds of bodies falling from the sky. She was numb, as she could hear the sound of wood being stripped away from the ships, as the fleet crashed back into the ocean. She covered her ears and attempted to mask the sound of human bodies hitting the water like concrete, but it was no use. She got to her feet, then immediately grabbed Lapis by her shoulder and shouted, _"What are you doing!? Why!?"_ Lapis looked back at her and said, _"I was trying to help them! It wasn't a fair battle!"_

"_It doesn't matter!"_ Rose shouted. _"I told you not to get involved! Now you've caused so much destruction! Thousands of lives are now extinguished because of you!"_ Lapis felt her rage brewing, as she pulled her arm away from Rose, then shouted back at her, _"I don't know why you're so upset! These men were going to die anyway! They were fighting! I just evened the odds!"_ Then she walked over towards the edge of the cliff, and gazed down upon the battle as she said, _"These men see us as gods! We should rule them! They were made to serve!"_ Rose was stunned at Lapis's revelation, as she wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to remain calm.

"_I don't know why we have to keep hiding, Rose!"_ Lapis exclaimed. _"We should make our presence known! We can put an end to their fighting, and it will be a time of peace, so long as we rule them." _Rose stepped back from her and said, _"I'm sorry but I don't agree with you! You've headed down a path that I can't follow."_ Rose was silent for a moment, then she continued, _"This is exactly why we fled homeworld! And now you want to instill those same thoughts and ideologies, so you can crush people!?"_ Rose turned away from her, then finally said, _"You and I are no longer friends! I won't punish you for your actions, as I'm sure your conscience weighs heavily enough." _Then Lapis grimaced, as she held back her tears, then she shouted, _"Punish me!? You think I'm afraid of you Rose!?"_

But Rose ignored her, as she continued to walk away, and Pearl stood off to the side in disbelief, not knowing what to do. _"Wait, can't we talk about this!?"_ Pearl asked, as she could see the separation between the two. _"No!"_ Rose shouted. _"There's nothing to discuss!"_ She pointed out to sea and yelled, _"Look at all of those bodies! There's nothing to talk about!"_ Just then, Lapis reached out to try to grab Roses arm, but Rose pulled it away and said, _"Don't touch me! You'll regret it!"_ Lapis became angry, as her aqua wings reemerged, then she flew at Rose.

She grabbed her by her hair, then flew directly over the edge of the cliff, as Pearl screamed, _"No!"_ Lapis released her, and as Rose was falling over the edge of the cliff, she summoned her shield. While falling, somehow she managed to break her fall by pushing off the walls of the cliff, with her legs, and did a somersault as she landed on the ground. She immediately stood up, and now saw Lapis hovering in front of her, as they were now both on the beach.

The men were in shock, as they saw Rose and Lapis standing on the beach, and appeared as thou they were preparing to fight…..

_**No Longer a Crystal Gem**_

"_I don't want to fight you,"_ Rose exclaimed. Then Lapis said, _"Why!? Are you afraid Rose!? You don't have a choice!" _Rose watched, as two giant hands came out of the ocean and went straight at her. She dodged the attacks by blocking both of the water hands with her shield, then she threw it directly at Lapis.

Before Lapis had time to react, she was hit square in her jaw by the shield, then she fell to the sand. She attempted to get up and fight, but Rose was now standing over her with a foot pressed down upon her chest. _"I told you I didn't want to fight,"_ Rose exclaimed, as she kept Lapis pinned on the beach. _"I didn't even use my sword, Lapis."_

"_Why didn't you!?"_ Lapis snared, as she became angry. Rose leaned in close to her, then quietly said, _"Because if I did, I would be no better than you."_ The king and his men surrounded them, as one of the men said, _"My Lord! The Sea Goddess is in trouble! We should help her!"_ The king motioned for his men to stay back, as he said, _"No! She's a god! She will defeat her opponent!"_ The men obeyed, as they all watched on nervously, and waited for Lapis to defeat Rose. Pearl was now on the beach running towards them, when she shouted, _"Is everything okay!? Please stop fighting!"_ When she finally made it to where Rose was standing, she looked down at Lapis and asked, _"Are you hurt!?"_ Then she looked over at Rose and asked, _"Is this absolutely necessary!?"_

"_Give me a spear,"_ Rose exclaimed. Then Pearl replied, _"What!? Why!? What are you planning on doing!?"_ Then Rose reiterated, _"Give me a spear, Pearl. You'll just have to trust me."_ Pearl looked down at Lapis uneasily, then she looked over at Rose and reluctantly summoned a spear from her gemstone, then handed it to her. As Rose held the spear above her head, Pearl began to cry a little, then Lapis said, _"Do it Rose! I know you want to!"_ Rose was silent, as Lapis closed her eyes, then she drove the spear down upon her. Lapis had tears in her eyes, as she waited for the pain of being pierced, but nothing happened. Instead she felt a "slicing sensation" across her chest, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Rose pulling on a part of her dress.

"_You will no longer wear this,"_ Rose exclaimed, as she ripped off a piece of garment that contained a "star" symbol. _"I don't want this symbol, or anything we do to be associated with you."_ Then she took her foot off of Lapis and started walking away. Lapis immediately leaned up, and felt like something was missing, as she put her arms over her chest and started sobbing. _"Rose, wait! I'm sorry!"_ Lapis exclaimed. _"Please don't do this to me!"_ But she ignored her as she continued to walk, then Lapis looked at Pearl and shouted, _"Say something to her! Please don't let this happen!"_ Pearl looked over at Rose, then she looked back at Lapis, and was distraught as she didn't know what to do.

As Rose was leaving, she found that she was surrounded by a wall of men, then the King commanded, _"Let her pass."_ The men obeyed, as they allowed Rose to walk away, but then the King said, "_You must be a greater god! Perhaps you are the reason why we've won this battle!_"

"_I'm no god,"_ Rose exclaimed, as she passed by the King. _"Let's go Pearl! Now!"_ She turned back and shouted. Pearl was kneeling down next to Lapis, and was wiping the tears from her eyes when she said, _"I'm so sorry!"_ She stood up, as she said once more, _"I'm sorry Lapis!"_ With that, she walked away and headed in the direction of Rose. As she was leaving, she began to feel the eyes of the men staring at her, so she started running.

_**Pearl the Narrator**_

"_So Steven, that's pretty much what happened," _Amethyst exclaimed. Steven lifted his head from Pearl's Lap, as he sat up in the couch, then he asked, _"That's it!? So what happened to Lapis!?" _There was silence, until he turned his head to look at Pearl, then he asked again, _"Pearl!? So what happened to her!?"_

"_I don't know,"_ Pearl whispered. _"That was the last time that I saw her before she…" _

Pearl struggled, as she couldn't finish her words, so Steven said, _"Before she ended up in the mirror!?" _Then Pearl simply nodded her head.

"_How did she end up in the mirror?"_ Steven asked. Then Pearl replied, _"That's a whole other story, I think it's past your bedtime…._


End file.
